Chapter 24 Chapter 24

Chapter 24

1

In the evening, Lin Chenxin sat on a chair, gazing absently at the wind chimes ahead.

The breeze was gentle, like a slender hand.

The clear, tinkling chimes resembled clear raindrops or glistening pearls falling into a jade plate.

Chen Gujun stood behind her, his gaze following hers toward those delicate wind chimes.

The air was quiet, and under the sunset, there was a tranquil sense of timeless peace.

Lin Chenxin’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she smiled and said, “Making these must have been a lot of trouble.”

Chen Gujun looked down at her but said nothing.

She was accustomed to Chen Gujun’s silence and closed her eyes, feeling the waning sunlight’s heat.

Just then, a hand reached out and gently brushed away the stray hairs disturbed by the wind.

Her heart tightened, and she felt a sudden lump in her throat.

A moment later, she opened her eyes and looked up at Chen Gujun’s face.

She had never examined the sigils on Chen Gujun’s body closely; each time she looked, she felt a sharp, unsettling sting in her mind.

Now, perhaps under the fading twilight, she could finally gaze directly at those vivid red sigils.

Yet, she still couldn’t understand their meaning. They just seemed exceptionally red, as if carved in blood or, more like, marks that had grown from within his body.

In truth, if she wanted to know the truth, asking Chen Gujun might yield clearer answers.

But she always went to great lengths to uncover secrets from this deep, unfathomable mansion.

Before, she figured he wouldn’t answer even if she asked.

Now, it was because she didn’t want to ask him.

She grabbed the hand in front of her, studying the sharp nails, and silently took out a nail clipper.

“Clipping them shouldn’t kill you, right?” she asked, looking at Chen Gujun.

His hand remained compliant, the sharp nails retracting into the palm.

Chen Gujun looked at her calmly, the corner of his eyebrow lifting ever so slightly.

Without another word, she snipped.

The clipped nail quickly turned to dust in mid-air.

And on Chen Gujun’s hand, even sharper nails soon grew back.

After a brief silence, she said calmly, “That’s pretty cool.”

Chen Gujun watched her intently, then gently withdrew his hand, the sharp nails carefully avoiding her palm.

The sun at the horizon had completely vanished, not even the last traces of its brilliant afterglow remained.

The hazy sky now held a crescent moon, faintly hidden among the clouds.

“Do you want to look at the moon?” Chen Gujun asked her.

She looked up and said, “Sure.”

His arm wrapped around her waist, and in a blur before her eyes, she found herself standing on the rooftop.

She opened her mouth and let out a soft “Wow.”

Chen Gujun turned his head to look at her face, his eyes flickering slightly.

With the higher vantage point, even the sky seemed more expansive.

Her eyes bright, she gazed ahead. Over the high walls, she saw dense treetops, houses of uneven heights, one bright streetlight after another, and a small path leading into the distance.

This was the farthest world Chen Gujun could see.

And these ordinary, unremarkable sights—she studied them intently.

After a while, she pulled at Chen Gujun’s sleeve to move aside, cautioning, “Don’t touch the leaves of that tree.”

Before you kill it.

Chen Gujun lowered his gaze to her earnest, serious face and moved where she directed.

Only when they were far from that lush branch did Lin Chenxin relax.

She sat on the rooftop, patted the spot beside her, and looked at Chen Gujun with sparkling eyes.

“Come.”

Chen Gujun lowered his gaze and sat down beside her.

She scooted over, pressing her body tightly against Chen Gujun’s.

Chen Gujun stiffened, seemingly uncomfortable, and shifted away slightly.

She scooted closer again.

Chen Gujun moved again; she followed once more.

Just as they were about to touch that branch again, she grabbed Chen Gujun’s clothes and said, “Don’t move.”

Chen Gujun stopped moving but remained rigid and tense.

She wasn’t pleased.

“Are you afraid of me?”

Chen Gujun glanced sideways, meeting her bright, shining eyes, then lowered his gaze and sighed softly.

Fine.

Let her have her way.

She smiled, leaning against Chen Gujun’s arm, her eyes gleaming as she looked at the moon in the sky.

Chen Gujun watched her face, seemingly dazzled by the light in her eyes, and a rare hint of color appeared in his own gaze.

Lin Chenxin looked at the moon; he looked at her.

A moment later, Lin Chenxin smiled, a sweet smile.

She glanced sideways at Chen Gujun, snuggled close to him, and leaned lightly against his shoulder.

But Chen Gujun was too tall; she could only lean against his arm.

Even so, they were nestled close together.

Chen Gujun's expression faltered for a moment before relaxing again.

Lin Chenxin was still smiling.

She quietly moved her hand from her knee toward Chen Gujun and took hold of his fingers.

Chen Gujun's fingertips trembled, and he suddenly turned his head away.

Lin Chenxin looked up at his profile, gently pursing her smiling lips.

She stroked the pad of Chen Gujun's finger, slowly sliding over his long, slender knuckles. Just as her hand settled into his palm, Chen Gujun suddenly grasped her hand firmly.

The motion was forceful, yet restrained with gentleness.

Her expression stiffened briefly before softening, and she opened her fingers, slipping them between his.

Their hands instantly intertwined, fingers laced together.

Chen Gujun's white hair fell onto Lin Chenxin's chest.

She closed her eyes, feeling the breeze and the sound of a heartbeat.

The moon emerged from behind the clouds, round and bright, casting a cool, silvery light over the two nestled together.

Chen Gujun slowly turned his head, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Chenxin's face.

He pressed his lips together, tentatively reaching out a hand, but before it could touch Lin Chenxin's face, he retracted his sharp nails into his palm.

A long moment later, as the wind lifted Lin Chenxin's hair, he opened his fingers and gently grasped a strand.

—

Looking at Ms. Liang's expressionless face, the Second Young Miss held back for a moment but couldn't resist tossing the list onto the table.

"I don't understand what on earth Mother means. Before, she was in such a hurry to marry me off within a month, giving me a list of candidates to choose from. Now she says there's no rush, and the list has been replaced with a bunch of utterly unsuitable candidates!"

The Second Young Miss was so angry her chest heaved.

Ms. Liang said impassively, "This is your father's decision."

"What?"

The Second Young Miss frowned, then pressed her lips tightly together.

Like the Young Master, she revered Mr. Chen more than she felt close to him.

Since childhood, Mr. Chen had been the revered head of the family, standing before them like a towering mountain, making it impossible to feel any sense of intimacy.

"The daughters of the Chen family only take in husbands; they do not marry out." Ms. Liang spoke while looking straight ahead.

The Second Young Miss's tightly furrowed brow did not relax.

"But that doesn't mean..."

She didn't care whether she married out or took in a husband. It was just that the list Ms. Liang had given her before at least consisted of young masters from prominent families.

Although she felt they still couldn't compare to the Chen family, they were barely sufficient for her.

But this new list was so ordinary she couldn't even bring herself to look at it.

Every name on it was no different from that Lin Chenxin.

She absolutely refused to accept a future partner from such a humble, insignificant background.

"Xiaoqing."

The Second Young Miss was taken aback and looked up at Ms. Liang.

"Mother."

Ms. Liang, who had been looking straight ahead, now fixed her eyes intently on her.

That gaze made the Second Young Miss swallow nervously.

"Do you want to leave the Chen family?"

For a moment, the Second Young Miss's mind went blank. She didn't understand Ms. Liang's meaning, yet she sensed something profound hidden in those words.

"If you want to leave, I will find a way to select a person of good character for you. But from then on, you must go far away, never return, and never mention that you are a member of the Chen family."

As she said this, Ms. Liang's eyes grew cold and distant, and her hand gripping the teacup tightened noticeably.

The Second Young Miss's heart skipped a beat. She clenched her sleeve, forcing a stiff smile. "Mother, what are you saying? I am a daughter of the Chen family. Naturally, I will be one for my entire life—"

She stopped mid-sentence.

Ms. Liang looked at her deeply, then closed her eyes. In that instant, Ms. Liang's eyes seemed to conceal profound disappointment and a resigned weariness.

The Second Young Miss's heart tightened painfully, her sleeve nearly torn from her grip.

She felt she had said something wrong.

But if she were no longer a member of the Chen family, she would lose its wealth and status, no longer the lofty Second Young Miss.

How could she accept that?

Seeing Ms. Liang's eyes return to their impassive state, she hurriedly said, "I don't want to leave Mother and my brother. I want to stay with you. I don't want to—"

Ms. Liang raised a hand, cutting off her unfinished words.

"Look carefully at the list your father gave you. There's no need to rush your decision. Wait until your brother is married."

Ms. Liang stood up and brushed past the Second Young Miss's shoulder as she left.

Panic surged in the Second Young Miss's heart. She reached out to grab Ms. Liang's clothes, but her hand only brushed the hem of her garment.

Watching Ms. Liang's back as she stepped over the threshold, the Second Young Miss's heart plummeted.

She didn't know where this panic and unease came from. She stood there in a daze, staring at the open door, her face filled with unknown confusion.

Lin Chenxin sat in the room, looking dead serious at the bowl and knife on the table.

She had been sitting like that for an hour.

Yet she simply couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Honestly, no one could slice into their own skin without batting an eye.

Lin Chenxin stared wide-eyed at the knife on the table, then slumped onto it, defeated.

She tilted her head to look at the broken window facing the backyard and couldn't help thinking: why not just let Chen Gujun bite her and be done with it?

If he refused, she would… she would…

But it's not like she had any leverage over Chen Gujun at all.

Tsk.

God, she was so useless.

Completely fed up, she turned her head and spotted a shadow standing outside the door—no telling how long it had been there.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately stashed the bowl and knife away.

Once she'd pulled herself together and sat up straight, a knock came at the door, right on cue.

“Come in,” she cleared her throat.

The door was pulled open from outside, and Chen Gujun stood there, his gaze deep and penetrating as he looked at her.

Her heart suddenly dropped like a stone.

For some reason, meeting Chen Gujun’s eyes made her feel as though everything about her was laid bare before him.